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It’s the middle of the week. Get over the Wednesday slump with these stories about your city. |
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Greg Bovino, the chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol El Centro sector, center, walks with federal immigration agents near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley) |
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Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who has led a series of increasingly aggressive raids across Chicago and the suburbs and fired tear gas at protesters in Little Village, must obtain and wear a body-worn camera and report every weekday at 6 p.m. in person to the federal judge who has tried to rein in federal agents’ use of force.
U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis questioned Bovino for approximately an hour and 15 minutes Tuesday morning in her courtroom at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago, reading the temporary restraining order she issued more than two weeks ago line by line.
Federal officials said Bovino fired the tear gas after he was struck in the head by objects thrown by the protestors. Bovino had no visible head injury Tuesday.
“The camera is your friend,” Ellis said, adding that a camera would capture someone throwing a rock or fireworks at him. “And then it won’t just be your word.”
After reminding Bovino of the oath he took to “support and defend the Constitution,” Ellis displayed deep concern about the videos submitted to the court as evidence and others that have blanketed social media in Chicago and nationwide, triggering widespread outrage.
“It is difficult for me to see that the force being used is necessary to stop an immediate and serious threat of physical harm to a person,” Ellis said.
Bovino, whose brash social-media presence and frequent appearances in the media have come to define what the Trump administration calls “Operation Midway Blitz,” said little during the hearing.
Ellis appeared particularly incensed by what happened on Saturday in Old Irving Park, when federal agents deployed tear gas after residents protested their attempts to detain a construction worker.
“Kids dressed in Halloween costumes, walking to a parade, do not pose an immediate threat to the safety of a law enforcement officer,” Ellis said. “They just don’t.”
More context:
While local and state officials have decried the tactics used by federal agents, the Constitution’s supremacy clause prevents local and state governments from interfering with federal agencies. DePaul University law professor David Franklin said it would be an uphill battle for local police to enforce local laws or executive orders.
“States, generally speaking, are not allowed to limit what federal officers do,” Franklin said. “The federal government, federal law definitely limit what federal officers can do.” |
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The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, near 31st Street and Western Avenue. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) |
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It’s been 125 years since the Chicago River was famously reversed by creating the 28-mile Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which carried sewage away from Lake Michigan — the city’s source of drinking water — and sent it downstream.
This impressive feat of engineering not only safeguarded Chicagoans’ public health but it also transformed the city economically, opening up new opportunities for commerce via a connection to the Mississippi River.
For downstream communities, though — places like Lemont, Summit and Lockport — the canal has always carried a whiff of the unsavory.
So a push is underway to rename the canal to perhaps something less, frankly, sewage-adjacent. The movement has the backing of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Friends of the Chicago River, the Chicago Park District, Cook County government and municipalities located along the channel.
“Now is the time to re-envision, reimagine and redefine what the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal can be for the next 125 years,” said Sergio Rodriguez, mayor of Summit.
Without further ado, here are the six names being considered for the canal, including the option to keep it as is:
Voting is open to the public through Nov. 7 and the winner will be announced Nov. 24. It would then be submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for approval. |
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(Valerii Apetroaiei / iStock) |
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Illinois on Tuesday joined a coalition of more than two dozen states suing the Trump administration for its refusal to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, during the government shutdown.
“At a time of increased costs for families, the Trump administration is making a deliberate, illegal and cruel decision to cut off access to food for nearly 2 million Illinoisans,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release announcing the lawsuit.
Starting Saturday, cards that SNAP beneficiaries use to buy groceries will not be reloaded. The Trump administration said last week it won’t use a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to keep funding the federal food assistance program next month during the ongoing government shutdown.
Tuesday’s legal filing from attorneys general from 22 states and the District of Columbia, plus three governors, argues that despite its claim of insufficient funds, the USDA has access to billions of dollars in SNAP-specific contingency funds appropriated by Congress for use during an event like a government shutdown.
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Back in the Day: October 29, 2010 - Chicago Synagogues Targeted in Thwarted Transatlantic Aircraft Bomb Plot |
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On this day 15 years ago, two bombs intended for a pair of Chicago synagogues were en route to the city and intercepted by international authorities. The explosive-laden air cargo packages, containing less than a pound of the highly explosive chemical powder PETN, were shipped via United Parcel Service and FedEx, and came from Yemen. Thanks to a tip via Saudi Intelligence from an Al-Qaeda double agent, the packages were intercepted in England and Dubai. The Yemen-based extremist group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the thwarted plot.
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Oct. 29-Nov. 4
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Wednesday, Oct. 29, Friday, Oct. 31, and Saturday, Nov. 1
David Byrne at Auditorium Theatre. Tickets for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
The Talking Heads frontman has a new solo album out and will bring his massive band to the Loop for four shows. These are the final three.
Thursday, Oct. 30:
Minor Moon and Friends at Hungry Brain. Tickets.
Chicago songwriter Sam Cantor hosts a guest-heavy concert covering the catalog of Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings. Guests include V.V. Lightbody, Elizabeth Moen as well as members of Tobacco City, Lucky Cloud, Free Range, Shoulderbird, Case Oats and more.
Friday, Oct. 31:
Color Green, Rich Ruth at Hideout. Tickets.
A California psych-rock band teams up with the Nashville cosmic jazz composer.
Saturday, Nov. 1:
Jeff Tweedy, Macie Stewart at Salt Shed. Tickets.
A Chicago songwriting legend brings a future Chicago songwriting legend to open for him.
Astrachan, Aunt Kelly, Samuel Aaron at Hideout. Tickets.
This local songwriter combines tasteful rock arrangements with oddball pop melodies.
Tanner Usrey, Kyle Ray at Joe’s On Weed. Tickets.
A rising country songwriter takes the stage in River North.
Saturday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 2:
PinkPantheress at Aragon Ballroom. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday.
This adventurous U.K. pop artist makes songs as short as they are unforgettable. Two shows in Uptown.
Monday, Nov. 3:
Tame Impala at United Center. Tickets.
The popular and influential Australian psych artist leans into danceable textures on his new album “Deadbeat.” |
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What's the best Halloween costume you’ve ever seen? Bonus points if it was Chicago-themed.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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